28 Facts About Eddie Obeid

Edward Moses Obeid was born on 25 October 1943 and is a retired Australian politician and convicted criminal, who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council between 1991 and 2011, representing the Labor Party.

Eddie Obeid, who joined the Labor Party in 1972, was expelled from the party in May 2013 for bringing the party into disrepute.

Eddie Obeid pleaded not guilty; however, a jury found Eddie Obeid guilty of misconduct in public office.

Eddie Obeid was sentenced to five years in jail with a non-parole period of three years.

In July 2021, all three were found guilty; and on 21 October Eddie Obeid was sentenced to seven years in gaol, with a non-parole period of five years and three months.

Eddie Obeid was born in the village of Matrite, a village in Northern Lebanon with a Maronite Catholic majority, in Lebanon.

Eddie Obeid married Judith in 1965, is father of nine children and a grandfather of 31 grandchildren.

At the time of his resignation from the Council, Eddie Obeid claimed that his most satisfying moment in politics was to assist in the passage of legislation to help building sub-contractors.

Eddie Obeid has since sold his stake and is, "no longer the publisher of that paper".

In September 2002, The Sydney Morning Herald alleged that Eddie Obeid was one of NSW's richest members of parliament.

The Herald claimed that two companies associated with Eddie Obeid have had debts of $AUD5 million written off by various banks.

The Commission made a finding that Eddie Obeid had never solicited a donation and cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Eddie Obeid was awarded A$162,173 in damages, plus costs believed to have been more than A$1 million.

Walkley Awards organisers later said the judging panel, "would not have awarded the prize if it had known the allegations against Mr Eddie Obeid would be found to be unsubstantiated".

In November 2012, the New South Wales ICAC began a series of investigative hearings relating to Eddie Obeid's alleged property and mining interests.

The ICAC found that Eddie Obeid engaged in corrupt conduct by entering into agreements with Macdonald, whereby Macdonald acted contrary to his public duty as a minister of the Crown.

In late May 2017, Eddie Obeid was committed to stand trial on conspiracy charges with Macdonald, relating to McDonald's granting of a coal exploration licence involving the Mount Penny tenement; due to commence in March 2019.

In October 2013, the ICAC commenced further investigative hearings surrounding allegations that, between 2000 and 2011, Eddie Obeid misused his position as a Member of Parliament to attempt to influence public officials to exercise their official functions with respect to retail leases at Circular Quay, without disclosing that Eddie Obeid, his family or a related entity had an interest in some of those leases.

The ICAC investigated allegations that, between 2005 and 2008, Eddie Obeid misused his position to attempt to influence other public officials to make decisions favouring Direct Health Solutions Pty Ltd.

Further, the ICAC commenced investigations into allegations that, between 2007 and 2008, Eddie Obeid misused his position as a Member of Parliament to influence public officials to exercise their official functions with respect to the review and grant of water licences at a farm at Bylong in the Hunter Valley, without disclosing that he, his family or a related entity had an interest in the licences.

In November 2014 the ICAC announced that following advice from the DPP, Eddie Obeid would be prosecuted for the offence of misconduct in public office for corruptly lobbying his former colleagues to gain lucrative concessions over cafe leases at Circular Quay that were secretly owned by his family.

In February 2016 a criminal trial against Eddie Obeid commenced in the NSW Supreme Court; however, as new evidence came to light, ten days into the trial the jury was discharged.

Eddie Obeid was sentenced in December 2016 to five years in jail with a non-parole period of three years, and granted parole in 2019.

In June 2017 before the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal, Eddie Obeid lodged an appeal against both his conviction and his sentence on the basis that he should not have stood trial in any court because breaches of the code of conduct governing NSW Members Parliament are within the exclusive cognisance or jurisdiction of Parliament, rather than the courts.

On 21 October 2021, Eddie Obeid was sentenced to seven years' gaol, however was immediately released on bail due to concerns about the risk of Eddie Obeid contracting COVID.

Macdonald and Moses Eddie Obeid were given custodial sentences and did not apply for bail.

In 2013, Eddie Obeid made application for fee assistance from the New South Wales government to assist with legal costs.

In 1984 Eddie Obeid was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his services to ethnic welfare; which was cancelled by the Governor-General in 2014.